Buttonhole-sewing machine.



G. S. HILL. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED numo, 1911.

1,106,810, Patented Aug. 11,191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 1 66 5. jrzdemn 77? J. M

awhww G. S. HILL. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIDH FILED PB.20, 1911. 1,106,81 0. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE S. HILL, OF S'IBAFFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITQED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PETERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BUTIDNHOLE-SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 11 1914.

ing machines, and more particularly tie-the type of buttonhole sewin machines in which the stitch forming mec anism has mirtain rotary movements lKHPtLI'tQd thereto in stitchin the huttonhole and in bringing the stitch firmingmechanism thereafter hack into starting position. A machine of this type is illustrated with substantial accuracy in the patent to Bece, 655,637, dated August 7. 1900. In such machines, rotary movement is transmitted from a cam operated rock shaft to the stitch forming mechanism by means of two gear segments mounted on said rock shaft meshing respectively with a pinion carried by the rotary box through which the needle bar passes and with a second pinion carried by the block on which the under thread carrying stitch forming mechanism is mounted. In stitching a huttonhole, it is essential that the upper thread carrying needle be accu ratcly positioned automatically with respect to the work and that this needle and the under thread stitch forming mechanism be rotated in unison and maintained in absotll'tf.l'i)i'tlitl. The gear segments and pi: ion mechanism heretofore used for transmitting movement from the shaft by which the stitch forming mechanism is driven to said stitch Forming mechanism is open to serious objection on account (if lost motion permitted between the gear segments and the pinions with which they intermesh. This lost mm tion, which is incidental to any mechanism that might be used, employing intermeshing gears, is often so great, especially when the parts become worn by use, as to interfere with the accurate positioning of the upper thread carryin needle with respect to the work and Wit 1 the satisfactory cooperation of the under thread carrying stitch forming mechanism with said needle.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the type above referred to comprising mechanism by which the desired rotary movement may imparted to the stitch forming mechanism in an accurate and satisfactory manner with the elimination of lost motion.

With this object in view, my invention contemplates the provision of flexible substantially non-elastic connectors for transmitting motion from the shaft by which the stitch forming mechanism is rotated to form thestitches about the buttonhole to the said stitch forming mechanism. In the best form of the invention which has been devised the connectors are wrapped in opposite directions about pulleysearried by the stitch forming mechanism and about the areshaped portions of sectors mounted upon the actuating shaft, and each connector is attached at one extremity to one of the pulleys and at the other to the corresponding sector.

Other features 'of my invention consist in certain improved constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts, the advantages of which will be obvious to one skilled in theart from the following description.

In the drawings illustrating the various features of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2- 2 of Fig. 1.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention is applied to a machine of the type shown in the Reece patent above referred to. The stitch frame 1, the upper thread carrying stitch forming mechanism comprising the needle bar 2 carried by said stitch frame, the needle 3 mounted on said bar, the rotatable box 35, through which the needle bar passes, the clamp frame 5, the Work clamp 6, the cam Wheel 7 operated by the main Shaft 8 are constructed, arranged and operated substantially as shown and described in the above cited patent. The under thread carrying stitch forming mechanism located below the clanip frame is indicated as a whole by the reference number 30 and will be hereinafter termed for the sake of convenicnce, the compiemental stitch forming 105 and the block 4 on which it is mounted are, no

however, constructed and arranged substantially as shown in the U. S. patent to Dixon, N0. 695,039, March 11, 1902.

Rotary movement is imparted to the stitch 5 forming mechanism by means of a rock shaft 9 substantially identical in arrangement with the rock shafts of the above cited patents. In no invention, however, I have pro- \idcd novel means for transmitting move- 10 ment from the rock shaft to the stitch form ing mechanism so constructed and arranged that the stitch forming mechanism may be driven by said rock shaft with the elimination of lost motion. To this end, in the illustrated embodiment of my invention, two pulleys 12 and 13 are mounted on the box 35. through which the needle bar passes, an two similar pulleys 18 and 19 are fixed to the hollow stem 40 of the block 4. A plurality of sectors 10, 11, 16 and 17 are mounted on the shaft 9 respectively opposite the pulleys 12, 13, 18 and 19. The sectors 10 and 11, and the sectors 16 and 17 are arranged with their arc-shaped portions re- :1 spectively on opposite sides of the shaft 9, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The pulleys 12 and 13 are connected respectively with the sectors 10 and 11 by means of two flexible substantially non-elastic connectors 14 and 15. These connectors are wrapped in opposite directions respectively about the pulleys 12 and 13 and each connector is attached at one extremity to the corresponding pulley. From the pulleys 12 and 13 the said connectors pass to and are wrapped in opposite directions respectively about the arc-shaped portions of the sectors 10 and 11 and each connector is attached at its other extremity to the corresponding sector. In a similar manner, the pulleys 18 and 19 are connected with the sectors 16 and 17 by means of two flexible substantially nonelaotic connectors 20 and 21 wra ped in op posite directions about the pill cys 18 and .19 and about the sectors 16 and 17 andeach attached at its respective extremities to the pulley and to the sector about which it is wrapped. The sectors are each made adjustable about the shaft 9 in order to take up the slack in the flexible connectors. To provide for this adjustment, each sector is formed with a split hub 22 and a tightening screw is provided to clamp the hub on the shaft. It is to be understood that the term sector as herein used applies to any member the outer portion of which is arc-shaped or circular in section. By means of the chm described" construction, rotary movement is transmitted to the stitch forming mechanism from the roclr shaft by which said mechanism is driven in an accurate and satisfactory 'manner, and the lost motion which is incident to any form of transmitting mechanism in which intermeshiug gears 35 air employed is obviated. By making the sectors adjustable on the rock shaft, I am enabled to always maintain the flexible connectors in a satisfactory working condition even after the parts of the machine have become worn b use.

The rock snaft 9 is actuated by mechanism substantially the same as that employed for actuating the rock shaft of the patent to Reece, consisting in the present instance of a link adjustably connected at one extremity to the sector 16 and jointed at the other extremity to a lever 24 pivoted at 25 to the frame and provided with a cam roll 26 which enters a cam groove in the cam wheel 7. The provision for adjustment be tween the link and the sector it; permits an adjustment of the limits of movement of the stitch forming mechanism.

The operation of the mechanism above described will be readily understood without further explanation.

Although the invention has been illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type shown in the patent to Reece and the patent to Dixon, it is not limited to such a row chine, but is adapted for use in any buttonhole sewing machine in whi h rotary movement is imparted to the stitch forming mechunism.

Having explained the nature and object of my invention, and havmp (l'SCIllJCd one embodiment thereof, what I claim as my invention is:-

1. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in combination, rotatable stitch forming mechanism, pulleys arranged in operative relation with said mechanism, a rock shaft for imparting rotary movement to said stitch forming mechanism, sectors carried by said rock shaft. flexible substantially min-elastic connectors wrapped in opposite directions about said pulleys and about said sectors and attached respectively to said pulleys and to said sectors, and means to adjust said sectors to take up the slack in said flexible members, substantially as described.

2. A buttonhole sewing mechinc having, in combination, rotatable stitch forming mechanism including a rotatable needle bar, a rotatable box through which said needle bar passes, a pair of pulleys carried by said box, complcmeutal stitch forming; incchanism, a block on which said conaplemental mechanism is supported, a pair of pulleys carried by said block, means to rotate said stitch forming mechanism comprisinp a rock shaft. sectors mounted on said rock slai't respectively opposite the said pulleys. flexible substantially non-elastic members wrapped in opposite directions about said pulleys and about said sectors and attached respectively to said pulleys and to said sectors. aul means to adjust said sectors to take up the slack in said flexible members, substantially as described.

3. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in combination, cooperating thread handling 'mechanisms located on opposite sides of the work, rotary supports for said mechanisms, automatic means for relatively moving the work and the thread handling mechanisms in a definite relation to each other to form the stitches about the margin of a buttonhole comprisin a shaft, flexibly substantial? non-elastlc members connecting the sha t tuating the shaft to rotate said mechanisms during the formation of the buttonhole, substantially as described.

4. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, a needle and complemental stitch forming mechanism located on opposites of the work and arranged to rotate ooaxially, automatic mechanism for relatively moving the work and the stitch for-min mechanism in .1 definite relation to eacfi other to form the stitches about the margin of a buttonhole comprisin a shaft arranged substantially parallel wit the axis of rotation of the needle and complemental mechanism, flexible subsantially non-elastic memwith said supports, and means for ac-,

bers connecting the shaft with the needle and the complemental mechanism, and mechanism for actuating the shaft to rotate the needle and complemental mechanism during the formation of the buttonhole, substantially as described.

5. A buttonhole sewin machine, having, in combination, cooperating stitch forming mechanisms located on opposite sides of the work, rotary supports for said mechanisms, automatic mechanism for relatively moving the Work and the stitch forming mechanism in a definite relation to each other to form the stitches about the margin of a buttonhole compi ing a shaft, flexible substantially non-e1 ic members connecting the shaft with'sajd mechanisms, means for actuating the shaft to rotate said mechanisms during the formation of the buttonhole, and provision for takin up the slack in said members, substantial y as described.

CHESTER E. Rooms, LAURA M. Goonmuon.

3. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in combination, cooperating thread handling I mechanisms located on opposite sides of the work, rotary supports for said mechanisms, automatic means for relatively moving the work and the thread handling mechanisms in a definite relation to each other to form the stitches about the margin of a button-- in combination, a needle and complemental stitch forming mechanism located on opposites of the work and arranged'to rotate coaxially, automatic mechanism for relatively moving the work and the stitch formin mechanism in a definite relation to eac other to' form the stitches about the margin of a buttonhole comprisin a shaft arranged substantially parallel wit tation of the needle and complemental mechanism, flexible subsantially non-elastic memthe, axis of robers connecting the shaft with the needle and the complemental mechanism, and mechanism for actuating the shaft to rotate the needle and complemental mechanism during the formation of the buttonhole, substantially as described.

'5. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, coiiperatmg stitch forming mechanisms located on opposite sides of the work, rotary supports for said mechanisms, automatic mechanism for relatively moving the work andtlle stitch forming mechanism in a definite relation to each other to form the stitches about the margin of a buttonhole compr sing a shaft, flexible substantially non-chi ic members connecting the shaft withjsajld mechanisms, means for actuating the shaft to rotate said mechanisms during the formation of the buttonhole, and-provision for taking up the slack in said members, substantially as described.

v GEORGE S. HILL. Witnesses Cnasraa E. Rooms, LAURA M. Goonmnon- It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 1,106,810, granted August 11, 1914,

upon the application of George S. Hill, of. Stratford, New Hampshire, for an improvement in Buttonhole-Sewing Machines, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 37, after the syllables zabso insert the syllables and words lutely uncarylng relative positions as they, same page, line 46, for the word incidental read incident; page 3, line 9, for the word flexibly read flexible; same page, line 18, for the syllable sites read site sides;

and that the said LettersPatent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of October, A. D., 191 v R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] (Lirrectio'ns In Letters Patent No..1,106,810.

It ishereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,106,810, granted August 11, 1914, npon the application of George S. Hill, of. Strefiord, New Hampshire, for an improvement in Buttonhole-Sewing Machines, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 37, after the syllables :abso insert the syllables and words lately unvarying relative positions as they, same page,

line 46, for the word incidental read incident; page 3, line 9, for the word iiexibly read flexible, same page, line 18, for the syllable sites read site sides;

and that the said LettersrPatent should be read with these eel-motions therein that the same may oonform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of October, A. D.,'1914.

R. F. WHITEHEAD,

[sun] I Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

